Personalized treatment option for HR+/HER2- breast cancer patients

A current clinical trial at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is revealing why certain patients with metastatic HR+/HER2- breast cancer do not respond to cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitors as well as others.

Key findings:

·       Certain factors may influence progression-free survival (PFS) in these patient populations.

·       Cyclin A and E expression “was significantly higher in the tumors of patients with shorter PFS” before being treated with CDK 4/6 inhibitors. The researchers attributed this to the “buildup of macrophages.”

·       In patients with long PFS, “gene enrichment for immune cell activation emerged during therapy, along with a reduction in cell cycle gene expression.”

The authors hope their study aids precision medicine for these patients.